I’ve been thinking a lot lately about book series, and how tedious it has become to follow them when books are released a year after the other. Because of this case, I have become emotionally invested in many series and characters, but have failed to complete the books because over time I started to not be interested in the books anymore as the story was so long and drawn-out. This thought brought me right to one series, or group of series, should I say: The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare (with authors Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan).

I used to be a hard-core fan of the books, and I can still say that I enjoy some of the books very much. The first three books in her first series, The Mortal Instruments, were awesome. And her, The Infernal Devices trilogy is absolutely wonderful (I still have yet to read the last book). But, my problem began when more and more spin-offs and novellas were announced. I said to myself, “Really? This is a lot for one world, one author.” Thinking about how many books there are going to be set in this world, I could really just spend months alone reading only Cassandra Clare’s books.

Now, here’s where I begin to have a problem. The first three books in her TMI series were great, like I previously said. TID trilogy is amazing. But I started to have a problem with the ending of TMI series. She originally planned to make the books a trilogy, but for some reason chose to expand the series to 6 books. Okay, that’s fine…but the writing and creativity of the stories went seriously downhill. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still GOOD. I still really enjoy her writing and books, but the increase in bad writing plus the announcement of the upcoming spin-offs and novellas made me reevaluate my commitment to these books.

I began to wonder, “Why is she doing so much for the Shadowhunters?” My best guess is because publishers know that it has a solid fan base, and will make money. BUT, this is where I differ with the thoughts of the publishers, media, whoever thinks that this series will continue to be popular – I bet there are more people out there like me that are getting impatient and bored with these books. I would love to see what else Clare has in her to write a new (maybe even standalone) book that is outside of the world of the Shadowhunters. She’s a wonderful author, but I feel like she’s now being restricted by outsiders to stick with The Shadowhunter Chronicles, and creating lesser content because of that.

Another thing that bugs me is that since all of the books are connected, to get the most out of the story it is recommended that the reader reads EVERY book in order of publication date, in order for the stories to make the most sense and in order to keep a book from spoiling the other! (Again, I think this is a ploy for money, and not at all Cassandra Clare’s fault.)

The most recent announcement that actually pushed me to write this post (that I am nervous about posting), is that the rest of The Mortal Instruments book will be turned into a TV show by the same people that made the unsuccessful film. Now, I enjoyed the film, but I know that it didn’t meet my expectations, or the expectations of a lot of readers. Do I think this TV show will be a good idea? No. Will I watch it? Most likely, although whether I’ll stick with it unlike her books, I can’t say.

I really don’t want this post to come off as me bashing Cassandra Clare and her books, etc., because I really love them! But I think there is a point when an author (or their publisher or whoever decides that a book should be written) needs to know when to stop. When enough is enough, and that too much of a good thing can end badly.

So, will I ever continue on with these books? Yes, I plan to finish up the last two TMI and the final TID books and call it quits.

If you’re interested in seeing all of the books that Cassandra Clare has written you can visit her Goodreads page. And to keep up to date on everything Shadowhunter and Cassandra Clare, TMI Source does a great job posting when the first news is announced!

Disclaimer: These thoughts are my own and I do not mean to offend anyone by sharing them with you. I am in no way trying to hurt the author mentioned, her books, or to offend her in any way. You do not have to feel the same way as I do, and I encourage friendly discussion over the topic that this post covers in the comments.

Disclaimer

This blog is my hobby, and I do not receive compensation for any posts or reviews I write. Sometimes I receive ARCs for free from publishers or authors in exchange for an honest review. All reviews are my own thoughts and opinions, non-biased, and not at all influenced by authors or publishers, including promotional blog tour reviews. Book covers and synopses are taken from Goodreads.com unless otherwise noted. If you have a problem with anything featured on this site please, please, PLEASE feel free to contact me!

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